Splitting machine



Jan 29, 1946. F, ASHWORTH 2,393,730

SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 50, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet).

I By ittorney Jan. 29, 1946.

F. ASHWORTH SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 30, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In 0 en for 51901 Adhwor'fh Patented Jan. 29, 1946 SPLITTING MACHINE Fred. Ashworth, .Wenham, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 30, 1944, Serial No. 551,815 8 Claims. v(Cl. 69-13) This invention relates to splitting machines and more particularly to improved adjusting means for facilitating the proper positioning of,

the knife.

The invention comprises a splitting machine having a knife, means for feeding a piece of work to the knife, and mechanism for facilitatihg the positioning of the knife properly in the line of feed movement of the work, said mechanism comprising a knife-positioning member having a face with which the cutting edge of the knife'may be placed in contact, and meansfor first moving said knife-positioning member into a selected position to permit positioning of the knife and then withdrawing said member from the knife edge into aposition to permit: splitting of a piece of work. In the illustrated machine, which is particularly designed to remove a thin split or skiving from the grain side of a piece of leather such as an insole, the work is fed by a rubber roll over the corner or edge of a hardened block, and one face of this block serves as a' knife-positioning member against which the cutting edge of the knife may be placed when the block is in its forward and'upward position, means being provided for first moving the block forwardly and upwardly into a selected. position and then for withdrawing said block into a position to permit splitting of pieces of work.

The above and other features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described a embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fi ure 1 is a plan of a portion of a machine in which the present invention is embodied, the knife having been broken away to expose certain parts of the machine. In this figure, as well as in Figures 2 and 3, the parts of the machine are in their operative positions;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the operative elements of the machine; and

Figure 4 is a section similar to that of Fi ure 3 but showing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the knife has been positioned and clamped in place preparatory to withdrawing the table into the position shown in Figure 3.

The illustrated machinaexcept for the new construction, isor' may be the same as that of the machine described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,175,193, granted 'October 10, 1939-, upon an application filed in the name of Charles E. Hood; and, before proceeding. to a description of what is new, the oldmachine will be briefly described. Referring more particularly to Figure 3, the general mode of operation of the machine is as follows. The piece of work I09, herein shown as an insole, is fed, grain. side down, over a flat table 9, the forward operative end of which consists of a hardened block II, to a stationary knife I3 and a rubber-covered roll l5 which cooperate with the unyielding. gaging edge formed by the forward corner of the hardened block to remove from the lower face of the work piece a thin split or skiving 200. The height of the edge of the knife above the adjacent edge or corner of the hardened block. determines the thickness of the skiving. which is removed, the rubber-covered roll yielding to inequalities in the thickness of the work. It is desirable that the operative edge or corner of the hardened block shall be directly below and parallel to the axis of the rubber roll, and that the edge of the knife I3 and the adjacent operative corner of the hardened block shall be in parallel relation and distant from each other horizontally and vertically the proper amounts. The ends of the rubber roll may be adjusted vertically either in unison or independently. The table 9 is carried by a support I! which may be adjusted vertically or angularly about a horizontal axis so as similarly to adjust the position of the forward edge or corner of the hardened block H. To this end (Fig. 4) the support is carried by a block l9 held in place by a nut 2| on a headed screw 33. When the nut is tight the support I! is held rigid with the block and both parts are held stationary. When the nut is loose, the support may slide vertically on the block, and the support I! together with the table 9 may swing in unison about the horizontal axis of the screw bolt 23-. This provides means for adjusting the edge or corner ofthe hardened block vertically and angularly about a horizontal axis. The knife 13 is clamped to an inclined bed by cap screws 25 which pass through slots 21 in the knife. Two adjusting screws. one of which is shown at 28, provide: means for adiusting the knife, when thecap screws 25 have been loosened, either straight over the inclined bed or angularly to some extent about'an axis perpendicular to the face of the inclined bed. All of the construction thus far described is or may be like that of the machine of the therframe of the machine.

patent to which reference is made for details of construction not here given. 1

It is desirable, as has been stated, that the forward edge or corner of the hardened block ll be exactly below and parallel to the axis of the rubber roll l and that the'edge or comer of the hardened block be parallel to the edge of the knife 13 and spaced in the line of feed from said edge of the knife a desired distance, usually of the order of .005 to .006 of an inch. In

. order to adjust the hardened block into the desired position with respect to the axis of the rubber roll, there are provided in the patented machine certain adjusting and indicating mechanisms; and in order to aid in adjusting the mental slot 55, as shown in Figures 2' and 3, the

forward edge of the hardened block II is directly below the axis of the rubber roll l5; and when the outer end of the arm 5| is in register with one of the marks, as in Fig. 4, the forward edge of the hardened block II is spaced forwardly (to knife certain further indicatingmechanisms are table 9 so that the table is ,slidable lengthwise on the block, when the nut at the lower end of a headed screw 33 has been loosened, said table;

'as in the patented machine, having legs (not shown) one at each corner which rest upon fiattened bosses upon the support I! on whichthe legs may slide. As in the patented machine, the table 9 is urged forward at all times by compression springs 3i the rear ends of which are located in sockets in the block 29 and the forward ends of which engage downwardly projecting portions of the table 9. Also, as in the patented machine, the block 29, and with it the table 9, may be locked rigidly to the support ll by means of the headed screw 33 and a nut 35 which, like the nut 21, is provided with a small bar 37 to facilitate turning the nut. Below the block 29 is a leaf spring 39 which rests upon the support I! and at all times urges the block 29, and with it the table 9, upward. When, therefore, the nut 35 is loosened, the leaf spring 39 pushes the table upward, and the compression springs 3| push the table forward, that is, to the left as viewed in Figures 3 and 4.

.The forward movement of the table 9, dueto the action of the springs 3|, depends upon the angular position of two small spaced eccentrics 4| (Fig. 1) carried near the ends of a small slabbed-off shaft 43. These two eccentrics are at all times in contact with the forward face of the hardened block It so that the table 9 can move only forward and back. The shaft and its eccentrics are integral, the ends of the shaft being rotatably mounted in rigid bearings.

Fast to, one end of the eccentric shaft 43 is a small gear 45, with which meshes a second small gear 41 fast to one'end of a small shaft 49 rotatably mounted in bearings which are rigid with To one end of the small shaft 49 there is fastened the hub of an arm 5|, the outer end of which carries a headed pin 53 having a flattened portion which runs in a segmental slot 55 formed in a stationarysegmental member '51. The pin 53 has at its outer threaded end a thumb nut 39 by which'the arm 5| may be locked in any desired angular position. Along the edge of the slot are marks numbered 6, 8, 10, I5 and 20. These numbers the left as viewed in Figure 4) of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the rubber roll a distance in thousandths of an inch denoted by the numeral of said mark. For example, if the outer end of the arm 5| is in register with the mark 6,

this distance is .006 of an inch.

Assuming that the machine has not been ad- J'usted at all, the table 9 with the hardened block I I may be adjusted vertically and angularly about a horizontal axis, and the rubber-covered roll l5 may be similarly adjusted. The outer end of the arm 5! is caused to register with one of the marks, say the mark 6, andithe nut which holds the block and. table 9 down is loosened;

The result is that the table is moved forward by the compression springs 3| so that the edge of the hardened block is .006 of an inch forward of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the rubber-covered roll, and the hardened block and the table 9 are moved up by the leaf spring 39. The knife is now placed on its inclined bed with its edge against the face of the hardened block and clamped in position by the cap screws 25. This is the position of the parts shown in Fig. 4. The arm 5| is swung back so that its outer end registers with the bottom of the segmental slot 55. This moves the hardened block I l backward until its forward face against which the edge of the knife was placed is exactly .006 of an inch from the edge of the knife and is directly beneath the axis of the rubber roll. The nut 35 is now tightened and the table 9 and hardened block are drawn down once more. If

necessary the support I! may be adjusted to bring the work supporting face of the table 9 and the hardened block H into any vertical position desired in accordance with, the thickness of the skiving or split which is to be removed.

The reason why the knife must be adjusted fairly frequently is that from time to time it must be removed to be reground. In such case the parts of the machine have all been adjusted and are in the proper position shown in Fig. 3 when the knife is removed. When the knife has been reground and is ready to be put back, the arm- 5| is swung to the desired mark, say the mark 5 if the desired distance of the edge of the knife from the edge of the hardened block is .006 of an inch, and the nut 35 is loosened whereupon the hardened block rises and moves forward 1006 of an inch; The reground knife is then fastened in place with its edge in contact with the forward face of the hardened block. This, as has been stated, is the position of parts showndn 3, plenty of space is provided for the escape of the skiving which is being removed.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular construction, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular con-- struction which has been shown. and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, means for feeding a piece of work to the knife, and mechanism for facilitating positioning the knife in proper position in the line of feed movement of the work, said mechanism comprising a knife-positioning member having a face with which the cutting edge of the knife may be placed in contact, and means for first moving said knife-positioning member into a selected position to permit positioning of the knife and then withdrawing said knife-positioning member from the knife edge into a position to permit splitting of a piece of work.

2. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, means for feeding a piece of work to the knife, and mechanism for facilitating positioning the knife in proper position in the line of feed movement of the work, said mechanism comprising a scale, a member manually movable with respect to the scale into any selected position, a

knife-positioning member having a face with p which the cutting edge of the knife may be laced in contact, connections between the manually movable member and the knife-positioning member such that movement of the manually movable member causes a responsive movement of the knife-positiong member, and means including the manually movable member for first moving the knife-positioning member into a selected po sition to permit positioning of the knife and for then withdrawing said knife-positioning member.

3. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a gaging member the position of which, measured in a line at right angles to the line of feed of the work, determines the thickness of the skiving which will be removed by the knife, and adjusting mechanism for facilitating the positioning of the knife in the machine with its cutting edge spaced 2. selected distance in the line of feed from said gaging member, said mechanism comprising means for moving the gaging member first forward through the selected distance to permit the cutting edge of the knife to be positioned with respect to it and then rearward the same distance. I

4. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a gaging member the position of which, measured in a line at right angles to the line of feed of the work, determines the thickness of the skiving which will be removed by the knife, and adjusting mechanism for facilitating the positioning of the knife in the machine with its cutting edge spaced a selected distance in the line of feed from said gaging member, said mechanism comprising a scale, a member manually movable with respect to the scale to any selected position, and means for causing the gaging member to move through a distance in response to the movement of said manually movable member.

i 5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife, a work supporting member having an unyielding gaging edgethe position of which, measured in a direction at right angles to the line of feed of the work, determines the thickness of the skiving which will be removed, an internally yieldable presser between which on one side and the knife and gaging edge on the other side the work is fed, and mechanism for facilitating positioning of the knife, said'mechanism comprising means for adjusting the gaging member forward through a selected distance to permit the edge of the knife to be positioned against it, and then rearward through the same distance.

6. A machine, of the class described having, in combination, a knife, 9. work supporting member having an unyielding gaging edge the posi tion of which, measuredin a direction at right angles to the line of feed of the work, determines the thickness of the skiving which will be removed, an internally yieldable presser between which on one side and the knife and gaging edge on the other side the work is fed, and mechanism for facilitating positioning of the knife, said mechanism comprising an arm movable with respect to a scale to any selected position, and means for causing the gaging member to, move through a distance in response to the movement of the arm.

7. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a table having an unyielding gaging edge the position of Which with respect to the edge of the knife determines the thicknes of the skiving which Will be removed, an internally yielding presser between which on one side and the knife and gaging edge on the other side the work passes, a support for the table, said support being adjustable bodily in a path which is perpendicular to the work-supporting surface of the table and angularly about an axis which is parallel to said surface, and mechanism for facilitating the positioning of the knife in the machine with its cutting edge spaced a selected distance in the line of feed from said gaging edge, said mechanism comprising means for adjusting the gaging member first forward through a selected distance and then rearward through the same distance.

8. A splitting machine having, in combination, a knife, a table having an unyielding gaging edge the position of which with respect to the edge of the knife determines the thickness of the skiving which will be removed, an internally yielding presser between which on one side and the knife and gaging edge on the other side the work passes, a support for the table, saidsupport being adjustable bodily in a path which is perpendicular to the work-supporting surface of the table and I angularly about an axis which is parallel to 

